Gadget Show Live 2012 Roundup - Part 2
In April 2012, FrequencyCast travelled to Gadget Show Live at NEC in Birmingham, to see what new tech was on display. Here's the second part of our transcript from Show 75.
Listen to Show 75, our round-up of Gadget Show Live 2012 (30 mins)
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Gadget Show Live 2012 Transcript (Part 2):
Here's the second half of our transcript from Show 75, our summary of this year's GSL:
Continued from Gadget Show Live 2012 Transcript Part 1
Pete:
Now, lots of new products get launched at Gadget Show Live, and we caught up with John from SoundScience about the rather noisy launch of a new speaker.
John:
This is basically a Bluetooth portable speaker. It's a 25 watt output, so much more output than in a normal Bluetooth speaker. It charges up in an hour, and it runs for 30 hours continuous play, at 75% of full volume for 30 hours.
Carl:
Hold on one second - so we're saying, 25 watts, one hour charge time - that's a quick charge time, isn't it?
John:
It is.
Carl:
Well, this is an efficient piece of technology. Now, it's about the size of a Rubik's cube. It's black, it's sleek, it's got a nice chrome rim finish to a black, sort of flight case look; four rubber feet on the bottom, one switch on the back; and quite frankly, a beautiful-sounding device.
The Qb Mito, from SoundScience
John:
Well, thanks. You can pay this in a conventional way, like this, facing forward, or you can play it facing upward.
Carl:
Right then, let's put this one to the test.
Pete:
Well, let's find out how it connects, first of all. So like you say, it's slightly larger than a Rubik's cube. The one thing I notice is no 3.5 ml jack socket, and no audio lead hanging out of the back, so it must be that wireless magic stuff. I'm going to talk to Ciachen now, who's going to explain how physically get some audio from this mp3 player onto this speaker.
Caichen:
All you need to do is just turn on the Bluetooth aspect of the phone, and go to the Bluetooth pairing, and pair it up to the speaker with a password, and then you're all set up.
Pete:
Let's give it a bit of music - let's play the FrequencyCast theme. That's not bad - from a little, small speaker, that's rather an impressive sound.
Carl:
It's amazing. What they've got is, obviously this is a mono speaker, but they've done a pseudo-stereo sound, and to be honest with you though, for the sort of people that are going to use this, which is any youngster, let's be honest, putting that output out, that's going to disturb every household and the parents are going to hate me for it, but what I did like about it, it has an auto shut-down, so that if they forget to turn off their devices, that doesn't waste their power.
Pete:
An amazing little speaker, that is putting out a frightening amount of power, and I do like the play time - 30 hours, is that correct?
John:
That's correct, yeah - 30 hours.
Pete:
And if someone wants to buy one of these in the UK, they've just launched today here at the Gadget Show?
John:
They'll be available in a couple of weeks, and the retail on this is £59.95.
Pete:
Wonderful, excellent. And where can they get them from?
John:
Well, these will be on AMP3.com, Dixons online, Dixons Black stores.
| The Qb-Mito is available in the UK from Advanced MP3 Players |
Pete:
But certainly from our good friends at AdvancedMP3Players.com. Now, you had some technology you were talking to us about earlier, and you were showing us a larger speaker here. You were saying this has potential to change the way sound works at home?
John:
Well, you were just using the phrase about a house disturber. This thing puts out RMS 150, 160 watt, but actually a peak output of 250. It's a 2.1 system, as you can see, all put into one box, so what you've got there is, you've got two side-firing speakers, 30 watt VMR speakers; you've got a front-firing sub-woofer, 90 watt sub-woofer; and you've got an amp all built into this one single box. It's wireless - all you need to do to make it work is plug it into the wall socket. It's a new concept. We believe that this has a lot going for it, because it eliminates wires, it eliminates a lot of extra clutter from extra speaker boxes.
Pete:
What about sharing your music around the house - can that help with that at all?
John:
Yeah, this product is a wireless product, and is based on a new wireless platform, which is variously called Wi-Fi Direct, or Intel Wireless Music, or whatever. You can basically play from any enabled device to any other device with this. It will also do multi-room, it's got a much much bigger range than the Bluetooth we were looking at. The Bluetooth has a ten metre range, this has a 100 metre range.
Pete:
Wonderful, and what sort of retail price are we looking at for this?
John:
This one will retail around £300.
Pete:
Now, we recorded loads of other interviews on the day, many of which are now up on the FrequencyCast website, and we'll be featuring a few more hot products in the next show. Just before we move on though, here's a bit of fun.
I'm watching something rather interesting here - I'm watching Carl play Laura against an old-fashioned game, but on some new technology. Carl, what are you doing there?
Carl:
I'm playing air hockey - it's fantastic!
Pete:
On what?
Carl:
On an iPad.
Pete:
I'm watching you, you're losing to a girl. This is embarrassing, Carl.
Carl:
I'm not losing, I'm doing the second form of winning.
Pete:
So just explain what's going on here, Carl - what are you holding in your hand? It looks like a piece of Monopoly board there.
Carl:
Yeah, it's unusual for me to be holding this in my hand. I'm not normally. Hold on a minute - I've got to win - oh God, why do you always interview me when I'm trying to play a game and win? I'm losing you. Right, it's like a piece from a board game actually, but it's got a little felt bottom to it (I like things with felt bottoms); it's got a plastic top to it, and it looks like a miniature version of the, well when you're playing air hockey, the thing that you hold - you know, the thing you hold? She's touching my hand now. Oi! - stop it! I think she's cheating - she keeps winning.
Pete:
So just to explain - we've got an iPad here. I'm assuming this is a special game loaded onto an iPad. Laura is also here from, it says Laura's from Jumbo - hello, Laura.
Laura:
Hello.
Pete:
Is he any good?
Laura:
Well, oh no, yeah, he is - he's actually beating me now.
Pete:
Oh, harsh! Right, let me turn to Mikhael?
Mikhael:
Yeah, that's right.
Pete:
Excellent, so which company are you from?
Mikhael:
Also Jumbo Games.
Pete:
OK, and just tell me what you're actually selling here at Gadget Show?
Mikhael:
Well, these are little games, traditional games, but with a twist, because you can play them on the iPads. So these are all multiplayer games that bring people together, which gives an edge on other games.
Pete:
OK, so we've got air hockey here. What are the other games on display today?
Mikhael:
Yeah, sure - snakes and ladders are well known; the game of Goose, the traditional board game, and also fishing with real fishing rods.
Pete:
Brilliant, OK, a nice little selection, and I'm assuming this is a retail pack - this isn't just a games download. You actually need the pack, because it has the special adaptors in there, is that right?
Mikhael:
Correct, yeah. You can buy it at retail in a box, and then you can download the app for free.
Pete:
I see, excellent. How much are these on sale for?
Mikhael:
£9.99.
Pete:
What's happening?
Carl:
She's won!
Pete:
Were you cheating?
Laura:
Definitely not!
Carl:
Obviously she was - she's a girl playing table hockey.
Pete:
So for those that can't make it down to Gadget Show Live, are these available for purchase anywhere else?
Mikhael:
Yeah, sure - you can buy them at retail, and also online.
Pete:
From your website, which is?
Mikhael:
Pete:
OK, superb. Thank you very much. I'm just watching Carl being - oh, are you actually winning now, Carl?
Carl:
Obviously. I let her win the first game.
Pete:
Superb, well perhaps you and I can play snakes and ladders later.
Carl:
I doubt it - that's far too fast-paced for you.
Pete:
There we go - that's our experiences at the Gadget Show Live up in Birmingham, and for more information on that, go to the website, frequencycast.co.uk/gsl (Gadget Show Live).
Continues here: The Marconi Legacy - Tim Wander Interview
Related Pages:
- Gadget Show Live 2012 Coverage
- Qb Mito USB Speakers
- Jumbo iPieces iPad Games
- Our look at Gadget Show Live 2011
- FrequencyCast at Ideal Home Show 2012
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